Political world mourns journalist Gwen Ifill

The death of Gwen Ifill shocked the political world Monday, as lawmakers and other prominent figures took to Twitter to mourn the widely respected moderator of PBS' Washington Week.

President Obama opened his press conference Tuesday with a tribute to Ifill and offered condolences to her family and colleagues.

"I always appreciated Gwen’s reporting even when I was on the receiving end of one of her tough and thorough interviews," Obama said. He praised her as crucial to keeping Americans informed and an inspiration to future journalists.